Any poker player will tell you that becoming predictable at the tables is a sure sign of weakness that will lead to your demise. Once players realize that you only play strong hands you will not get nearly as much action as you would if you were less predictable. To a cash game player this affects the bottom line. You must become chameleon like in your approach to the game and adapt your play to better disguise the strength of your hands. Poker strategy is an art form and changing gears, when executed properly, is one of the scariest tactics you can employ at the poker table.

NOTE: You must change gears several times in a poker tournament as you approach the final table to remain effective.

Many times you will raise with hands like [A][A], [K][K] etc. Typically it doesn’t matter what position you are in you should raise it up with premium hands to limit the number of players entering the pot. However, you also need to be capable of limping and calling small raises both in and out of position with big hands as well. By doing so you are disguising the “strength” of your hand and not giving anything away to the original raiser and other players that have entered the pot with you. If you hit the flop big for a “set” no one will put you on a big hand and it’s likely you will take down the pot from there. If the flop looks favorable and you bet out and get re-raised you must have enough discipline to get away from the hand.

Conversely, you must be able to raise and call raises from ANY position with small pairs and suited connectors as well. Again, when the flop hits you big for a straight or set you are likely to win a big pot. When you miss the flop or are re-raised with no draw you need to be capable of releasing your hand. Sure, there are fundamental poker rules as to what hands you play and the position they are played from. However, those are only the fundamentals. You need to be able to understand good play and then expand those plays into profitable tactics that work for your game.

How your table plays is extremely important in how and when you are able to change gears. Typically you are going to have tables that fall into one of these categories:

• Loose
• Tight
• Aggressive

You will need to adjust your strategy to account for each kind of table throughout the poker tournament. One player can change the dynamics of a table when he sits down. Passive tables can become aggressive and vice versa. Be aware of this and take advantage accordingly when the situation dictates. Your chip count will also affect your ability to change gears. If you have a large stack you are going to be able to play a lot more hands and play them however you like. If you're short stacked then your options are limited. If you have a medium stack all options are available to you pending on how the table is playing. You need to have a good feel for the table and the players in order to change gears properly. Your feel for the game will be key to your success.

When you watch a player like Phil Ivey, arguably the best all-around poker player in the world, play tournaments he epitomizes what changing gears is all about. You are likely to see him play many hands from various positions on the table both raising and calling. However, Phil is an extremely disciplined player and usually will fold when beat. He will also raise when he senses weakness in his opponents with any two cards to push them off the hand. Good players have good discipline. When you couple it with great instincts and feel for the game you are facing a pretty tough opponent.